Childcare Subsidy Eligibility

Number of Children in Childcare

If you have more than one child aged 5 or younger in childcare, you may get a higher Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

You can get the higher subsidy if all of these apply:

  • You get or will be eligible for CCS
  • Your family’s combined income is under $365,611
  • You have more than one CCS eligible child aged 5, or younger
  • Your higher rate child or children are using childcare.

You’ll continue to get your standard CCS percentage for your ‘standard rate child’ (usually the eldest child) and any children aged 6 or above.

For the ‘higher rate child’ (usually your younger eligible child or children), you can get a 30% higher subsidy. This is a 30% increase on your standard CCS percentage. Centrelink will cap this at a maximum of 95%.

Combined Household Income

The Child Care Subsidy percentage your family is entitled to depends on your family’s combined household income.

Your family’s combined
Household Income
From 8th July 2024
Child Care Subsidy Percentage
$0 to $83,28090%
More than $83,280 to below $533,280Decreasing from 90%
The percentage decreases by 1% for every $5,000 of income a family earns
$533,280 or more0%

Centrelink withholds 5% of your Child Care Subsidy payments to accommodate for any changes to your expected and combined household income. This helps to reduce the likelihood of you getting an overpayment.

Activity Levels

The Child Care Subsidy percentage your family is entitled to also depends on your family’s activity levels.

Recognised activities include

  • Paid work including being self employed
  • Paid or unpaid leave, including paid or unpaid parental or maternity leave
  • Unpaid work in a family business
  • Unpaid work experience or unpaid internship
  • Actively setting up a business

They can also include any of these

  • Doing an approved course of education or study
  • Doing training to improve work skills or employment prospects
  • Actively looking for work
  • Volunteering
  • Other activities on a case by case basis
Fortnightly Activity LevelsHours of Subsidised Child Care Each Fortnight
Less than 8 hours0 hours if you earn above $83,280
24 hours if you earn $83,280 or below
36 hours – Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child, regardless of family activity
More than 8 to 16 hours36 hours
More than 16 to 48 hours72 hours
More than 48 hours100 hours

Hourly Fee Cap

The amount of Child Care Subsidy you can get depends on the type of approved childcare you use. It also depends on the age of your child.

The 2024-25 hourly rate caps for each care type are outlined below.

All Montessori Academy childcare centres are eligible for the Centre Based Day Care Fee Cap which is an allowance of $14.29 per hour for children under school age, or $12.51 for school age children (from 8th July 2024).

Type of ChildcareHourly rate cap for children below school ageHourly rate cap for school age children
Centre Based Day Care i.e. Montessori Academy Childcare Centres$14.29$12.51
Outside School Hours Care – before, after and vacation care$14.29$12.51
Family Day Care$13.24$13.24
In Home Care$38.87 per family$38.87

Further Information

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Christmas Craft Ideas: Holiday crafts for preschoolers boost fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration, all while fostering self-expression in a Montessori-inspired approach.

Christmas Craft Ideas: Holiday crafts for preschoolers boost fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration, all while fostering self-expression in a Montessori-inspired approach.

The Golden Beads materials are an essential tool in Montessori education, helping children understand the decimal system, place value, and basic mathematical operations.

At Montessori Academy, we celebrated the excellence, dedication, and innovation of Montessori Academy’s educators and team members at the 2024 Gala Awards held across Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Montessori Easy Christmas Recipe Ideas: Discover simple, hands-on recipes like No-Bake Cookie Balls, Decorated Gingerbread People, and Mini Christmas Tree Cupcakes, each designed to be safe and enjoyable for young children.

Christmas Craft Ideas: Holiday crafts for preschoolers boost fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration, all while fostering self-expression in a Montessori-inspired approach.